1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer-based ystems and, more particularly, to graphically manipulating display elements in a computer-based system.
2. Related Art
A common technique for presenting information to users of computer-based systems is through use of a graphical user interface (GUI). A graphical user interface is typically part of an environment provided by an operating system executed by a processor in the computer system. Generally, the GUI is controlled by the operating system in response to commands provided by a user and application programs or other processes executing on or accessible to the computer-based system.
Common to virtually all conventional GUIs is the use of a mouse or other pointing device in a windowed environment. Windows are rectangular areas presented on a display that contain textual and/or graphical information related to the operation of the application program, operating system or other processes. Generally, additional display elements are provided by the GUI to facilitate interactions with the windows. These include, for example, menus, title bars, buttons, select boxes and icons. For a more detailed explanation of the operation of GUIs in general and Windows.RTM. in particular, see "Microsoft Windows version 3.1 User's Guide," and "Microsoft Windows 95 User's Guide," available from Microsoft, Inc.
With regard to graphically manipulating display elements such as icons, it is sometimes desirable to restrict such movement to certain directions. Oftentimes, such systems are not intuitive, causing the user to make multiple attempts to place a selected display element in a desired location. What is needed, therefore, is an intuitive and simple technique for manipulating display elements in a computer-based system.